Peers in Brexit Bill battle told to come clean on EU payouts
ASSISTANT POLITICAL EDITOR MORE than 20 peers who are expected to force changes to the Brexit Bill this week are still earning tens of thousands of pounds from Brussels.
Lord Mandelson, Labour’s former communications director, Lord Kinnock, the party’s former leader, and Lord Patten, who served in Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet, all still receive EU pensions.
Many other former MEPs and European commissioners are also receiving payouts from a Brussels pension pot estimated to be worth £10 million.
The peers are facing demands to reveal their “financial interest” before speaking on Brexit legislation or face the “outrage” of the public.
Dominic Raab, a former justice minister, said: “Lords with generous EU pension pots should be open with the British people and declare this when they speak in Parliament on Brexit.
“It’s time the Lords came clean about their EU money and recognise the decision of the people by backing the Article 50 Bill unamended.”
Pro-EU figures dismissed the concerns last night as “cheap, petty politics”. The pressure comes as legislation giving the Prime Minister the power to trigger Article 50 and begin Brexit talks reaches the House of Lords this week.
Tories fear Theresa May’s timeline of starting exit talks by the end of March could be put in doubt if peers repeatedly demand changes to the Bill.
More than 190 peers are due to speak, with Tories braced for amendment defeats because they do not have a majority in the Lords. Protections for the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and assurances over a vote on the final Brexit deal could be secured.
Change Britain, a Eurosceptic campaign group co-founded by the former justice secretary, Michael Gove, is concerned voters may not know financial links between some peers and Brussels. However, those who become peers are under no strict obligation to declare the pension payments when they speak in the Lords about EU matters.
Analysts from Change Britain have identified more than 20 pro-EU peers who enjoy such pensions and estimated what they receive annually. Lord Kinnock, a former vice-president of the European Commission who described the Brexit result as “appalling”, is thought to get almost £90,000 a year.
Lord Mandelson, a former trade commissioner who played a central part in the Remain campaign, is estimated to receive £35,000 a year. Lord Patten of Barnes, who served in the EC from 2000-2004, is believed to receive close to £40,000 a year.
Former European commissioners in office before May 1 2004 are entitled to a pension worth 4.5 per cent of the salary they last received for each year of service.
Change Britain is urging Britons to send peers claiming such pensions an email which says: “I understand that you may have income or a pension from the European Union due to your work there in the past on behalf of the UK. Will you therefore also commit to declare any financial interest before you speak in the debates on the passage of the Article 50 legislation through the House of Lords?”
Eurosceptics have also claimed that the public should be made aware of an “oath of loyalty” to Brussels made by those who work for the Commission.
Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader dismissed the demands as a “stunt”. He said: “This is cheap, petty politics. Dominic Raab cannot believe that the people would not mention that they used to be MEPs or commissioners when they speak in the House of Lords debate.
“He used to be a minister so you would hope he would have actually known the rules.”